Páginas

Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Escort - Dancer , faixa do novo álbum ANIMAL NATURE


Pérola Nu Disco do grande grupo de NY Escort

Faixa do novo álbum chamado Animal Nature, gravada ao vivo no Brooklyn!

Baita som! Curte aí!



Monday, November 9, 2015

A Generation of DJs is Skilled in Marketing and Social Media, but not Music Production



Baita texto de que saiu já há algum tempo na Vice do México.

É uma questão polêmica, talvez nem todos os DJ's tenham o talento necessário para fazer música, mas pelo menos deveriam dedicar mais tempo a se informar sobre música.

Publico o texto na íntegra aqui, em inglês.

 A Generation of DJs is Skilled in Marketing and Social Media, but not Music Production

April 30, 2015
A few days ago, 7UP officially released a campaign with Tiësto named, "Your Shot." The prize: playing on the big stages of some of the world's biggest EDM festivals.
This is just one of many indicators of how the search for talent is greater than ever. Everybody wants to stand out, by any means necessary. The dream of any bedroom DJ when he or she buys DJ gear for the first time and plugs it into a computer is visualizing thousands of people in front of you when you raise your arms dancing at full speed.
When you open your eyes, you realize that there's only a wall with a poster of your favorite artist, and then you turn around to see your messy room. So what do you need to make that dream come true? Many decide to follow these easy steps, which might seem like they're helping them get closer to stardom, but they're actually taking them further away than ever.

 

Step 1: Create your stage name and become a model

The creativity among new DJs seems amazing to me with the majority of them becoming design experts. Let's say you decide that your DJ name will be "A5tro," you'll do everything in your power for others to know that that is not only your alias but also your brand. Many youngsters learn to make graphics, logos, banners, and find visual techniques to make them look like they have bigger audiences than they really do (I don't even know how, because I didn't learn how to use Photoshop like that in college). They convince their parents to pay for a photoshoot and brand all social media with their glossy, photoshopped image.

 

Step 2: Become a social media expert

New DJs set up a profiles on Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and whatever else is there. There are many DJs that currently pay for Facebook campaigns so they can be exposed to millions, even if they have only ever played in front of tens. Any of us can pay Facebook to promote our posts to many parts of the world but suddenly, DJs nobody knows turn out to have 60,000 likes. When a person who works in the industry discovers this, they are suddenly surprised: "What did I miss? Why don't I know them?"

 

Step 3: Become anything except someone who represents where you're from

One of the biggest weaknesses in the DJ market on a global scale is that many aspirants want to be something they're not. Let's talk about our good friend, "A5tro."
If he's Mexican, he'll probably never mention the fact that he's from Mexico. In view of the fact that the majority of Top DJs are of Dutch, Swedish, French or Canadian origin, many DJs who aren't from those countries think that playing down where they're from is to their advantage. Why?
A5tro will post an avalanche of tweets and Facebook updates with information in English. It's perhaps a good idea to have two versions of your work—including the biography on your Facebook or SoundCloud. But when your daily feed is full of tweets in English that you don't even know how to write correctly it's a shame.
As a journalist, I think it's vital to show those around me what my world means. If I write in a language not understood by many in my country, who am I supporting? We make a big effort to understand what DJs from other countries are doing, because their music seems incredible, but at the same time, they are usually interested on what's happening here (or anywhere). Obviously, Tiësto is not going to learn Spanish in order to understand his Mexican audience, but he'll notice an artist who is loved and understood by his or her own audience more than someone pretending to be Dutch.
Only 70 people were there, because it's the regular weekday crowd.

 

Step 4: Make no time for music production

Many DJs dream of playing at big festivals and clubs all over the world so when it gets close, they want to show off. Cue uploading pictures from first class plane seats with the caption, "Next gig: Miami!" Obviously, most of them are not en route to a headlining gig, but an opening slot during which, 99% of the attendants are not interested in listening to their tunes if they even have any of their own.
Many wannabe DJs are too lazy to sit down at a studio for the many hours necessary to try to make some music.
They may want to post some pictures from a borrowed recording studio captioned "cooking some surprises," even if those surprises never get cooked. It's a social media trend that is consuming EDM teenagers. The thirst for traveling to the world's biggest cities on private jets, drinking alcohol with the superstar DJs, and uploading more selfies with famous people is greater than the thirst for having their emotions expressed through a song.
Here's the bad news: fame and glory will never come if you never make music.
Any halfway decent record label or promoter is looking for artists who people can relate to, artists who make people move through the power of music, whether it's EDM, techno, house, jungle or trop-house. If an artist does not have a creative output, he or she will remain a DJ who only opens for other DJs, playing other people's music.
You'll probably say, "hey, but all the DJs who play at Ultra play other people's music." I totally agree; everyone loves playing other people's music, but there are always moments when those DJs present their own new remix or track. David Guetta may be many things, but he's able to have people singing his songs and clapping for a whole hour. On the other hand, Richie Hawtin plays for hours in clubs in Ibiza because people want to listen to his sets. Nobody in that crowd cares about his Instagram feed; they appreciate that he is always searching for the best music to play for his audience.
Aspiring DJs have to stop being guided by marketing. Remember that the cliché slogan "quality over quantity" applies to DJing. Don't search for big social fanbases. If your neighbor has 100,000 Facebook likes, but you see him at home Monday through Sunday and every now and then he plays at his friends' parties, I think you might know how many fans he really has.

I always say, if people spent as much time digging into Logic, FL Studio or the like as they do on Photoshop, tweeting, or Facebooking, so many more bedroom DJs would become true stars.
You want your DJing to be taken seriously not your marketing and design skills.

Leave that to marketing and design professionals; we should attend to the music.

Trino Trevino is the editor of THUMP en Español, and you can find him on Twitter.
Originally published on THUMP México.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

DJ Marky - My Heroes - The Documentary

Hoje vou postar aqui um documentário divulgado há uns meses atrás no Youtube mas que vale a pena ser visto e revisto.
É sobre a produção do álbum My Heroes do grande DJ Marky, brazuca que é respeitado no mundo todo por sua música e técnica de discotecagem.

Já tive a oportunidade de assisti-lo tocando ao vivo várias vezes aqui em Porto Alegre e o cara é um exemplo de técnica, carisma e humildade.
Baita DJ! Sucesso merecido!
Curte aí que é massa!

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Lançamento Pionner : XDJ-1000 digital deck with full scratch

E foi divulgado o novo lançamento para djs da Pionner!
Trata-se do cdj compacto XDJ 700, versão compacta do XDJ 1000

Um dos detalhes interessantes é o preço! US$ 699!
 
Principais características:
  • Display touchscreen de 7 polegadas com visualização da track (em forma de onda), navegação nas pastas de armazenamento usb e busca (com teclado QWERTY);
  • Autoloops, hot cues, quantização, beat sync, and Slip mode;
  • Compatível com Rekordbox;
Uma das principais característica é o jog que teve uma redução no seu diâmetro, o que tornou o cdj bem adequado para cabines com layout complicado (a maioria por sinal). 

Segue um vídeo pra dar uma idéia de como é o equipamento:

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Como aumentar sua base de fãs na SoundCloud? Use o Fan Gating!






Matéria bacana que foi publicada no ótimo site Digital DJ Tips!

Acredito que todos os DJ's e produtores já passaram por esse dilema: o que fazer para aumentar a base de fãs na SoundCloud?

Alguns optam pela opção nada ética de "comprar" likes, mas existem opções mais legítimas e que realmente significam que o fã aprovou a track / set.

É o chamado Fan Gating!
Dá uma olhada no texto! Vale muito! 
Segue texto original publicado no Digital DJ Tips (em inglês)

 

How To Kickstart Your SoundCloud With Fan Gating

 

For original productions, SoundCloud is still a good place for DJs to publicise their tracks, and in this article, you'll learn an ethical way to get them noticed.
Do you sometimes feel that in order to grow your fan base online like the pros, you may actually have to consider buying "likes" on social media or SoundCloud? Don't! There's a perfectly ethical and often very effective way to genuinely build your followers, and it's called "fan gating". Let's find out more...

A bit about fan gating... and why Facebook banned it

A fan gate is when you ask users to "Like" or "Follow" your social media profile before they see a piece of content - in our case as DJs/producers, it'd probably be a download of a mix or production. Some electronic music artists go as far as to provide remixes or bootlegs of popular tracks or stems of a track, while at the other end of the scale, some DJs simply exchange their mixes for a follow.
You've probably seen this before - you wanted to download a cool track from an artist on SoundCloud, but when you clicked on the "free download" link, your download didn't automatically start, but rather sent you to a Facebook page prompting you to "Like" the page first. You then got the download in exchange for a "Like" of that page.
However, in November 2014 Facebook decided to ban "Like to Downloads" because it wanted to make sure people were liking pages because they truly liked a brand, business or artist instead of because of "artificial incentives". At the time, Facebook stated it would be shutting down pages that used gates such as Like to Download and others, and some artists were indeed shut down for using the application within Facebook.
As you can imagine, this affected many DJs and artists who were reliant on fan gates for growing their Pages. However, it also spurred quick-thinking music makers and entrepreneurs to fill the demand for fan gate platforms. In this article, we take you through services like Click.dj, Hypeddit and ToneDen which have become de facto fan gate apps for many artists and DJs.

Choosing a fan gate

Each of the most popular fan gate applications has different features and they all offer free and premium (paid) plans that are reasonably affordable. I'll lay out the pros and the cons to help you make an informed decision.

1. Click.dj

clickdj
 
Created by Dean Van Dugteren, AKA Apexrise, and used by some of the internet's biggest music brands, Click.dj uses "Follow To Download" and "Like To Download" for SoundCloud (and also Spotify, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, even Facebook, and - yes - good old e-mail too).
In fact, "E-mail to Subscribe and Download" is one of the top features that attracts many Click.dj users. Next to getting instant followers on your social networks, you can send people their download by email. Once your new follower clicks the download link in their inbox, their email and country information will become available to you. Having email subscribers is a great way to directly engage with fans, and to let everyone from a certain country know about your gigs in their area.
Another key feature is SoundCloud Repost to Download. The exponential power of other SoundCloud users re-posting your track is powerful. Imagine posting a DJ mix and sending it to your friends: They want to download your mix so they click the "Free Download" button, and then a SoundCloud login screen pops up and, within a few clicks, they're instantly following you along with a repost of your DJ mix on their profiles. Those friends could have friends that also like your mix, so they repost it on their profiles too, and the follows just keep on coming.
Click.dj is the only application out there that offers a Follow to Download WordPress Plugin to embed follow-to-download functionality directly into your own website. For WordPress users, this is a major benefit: It also allows storage of the Downloads on their servers saving space on your SoundCloud account so you can upload only the streaming version instead of uploading the track or mix twice.
One of the turn offs with Click.dj is that it's usability is only one sided. By that I mean it's really only used by the music maker, whereas the other two applications serve the music fans as well as the music maker by sharing top or trending tracks on a single page. An addition of this to Click.dj would bring the platform more value for the music creators.
• Find out more about Click.dj here.

2. Hypeddit

hypeddit
 
DJ John Gold, founder of BeatCanteen Records, is the man behind Hypeddit.com. Here you can offer downloads of your music in return for SoundCloud Followers, Likes and Comments.
One of the reasons why many Hypeddit users love this fan gate is that the company offers a Top 100 list for many genres. For music fans, this is comparable to the holy grail of free downloads, and as a DJ it's a goldmine to find all the most popular free tracks.
Unlike Click.dj, Hypeddit does not have a plug-in to embed on WordPress, and for those that have a website running WordPress, they may feel that keeping track of their links and finding a way to integrate with their own domain may be another item on the to-do list.
• Find out more about Hypeddit here.

3. ToneDen

toneden
 
TondDen.io offers a plethora of features on SoundCloud for both artists and fans alike. The company also offers an app for music fans to keep track of trending songs from their favourite artists who are using the platform's fan gates. By entering your phone number on the main page you are sent the app via text. If you are wondering who gets the fan or the follow when you collaborate with a handful of artist, you'll be surprised that ToneDen has thought of this already too.
Many ToneDen users give compliments to how much support is offered by the creators of ToneDen. The company appears to take an active role in its users' success and has a comprehensive support system.
• Find out more about ToneDen here.

How to fan gate

Now just setting your fan gate up doesn't necessarily bring tons of eyeballs to your music. While some artists' results may look remarkable at first (and they are impressive), they results aren't mysterious. Their success is because they ditched the "Upload and Pray" approach and embraced more strategic track promotion. If you want your music to get results, you can't rely on the ol' "Upload and Pray" approach either.
Why? The fact is: there are at least 10 hours of audio uploaded every minute as of 2014 and perhaps that number has doubled for 2015. And no one will see or hear your music unless you get off your behind and promote it. That's why the DJs and producers quoted below emphasise the importance of promotion.

Here are the steps to take to ensure your music gets proper promotion:
  1. Have great artwork - Before uploading your music, the importance of having great artwork is important to make sure you grab the attention of those who come across your track. "A professional looking cover art or album art is deemed as a sign of legitimacy and plays an important roll as well," says Frank M. Murray, from the old Facebook Like to Download App days
  2. Make playlists of your music - After uploading, some artists add or create playlists of similar sounds. This helps the listener seek out more of the same sounds you offer. "I create a new playlist with the track I am offering as a download. This way I can retain the play count metrics and if I decide to stop the promotion I don't have to change anything about the track itself, just remove the playlist," says Levi Whalen, Gumroad User
  3. Get the word out - Next, create ways to post your music or get it featured in a place that your target audience hangs out. "I network with various promotional pages that share/repost a comparable style of music to their audience. An audience that I feel is my 'target demographic'. For example, I will find a page that is promoting ambient, chill electronic, as opposed to finding a DnB promotional page. Once they've shared my song with their audience, my traffic will increase temporarily. During this time, I hope for positive feedback and to know people are enjoying what I've created and want to hear more," says Ian Campbell (NoxTros), a Hypeddit User
  4. DO NOT pay to promote on Facebook - We don't mean paying for likes, but legitimate promotion here. If you want to pay to promote, do it on Twitter. It is more efficient, will reach the right audience, and costs only a tad bit more than Facebook, but the benefits outweigh the cost. "Some of the rookie mistakes include paying for promotion with platforms that don't offer much in return," says Kyle Rosa, a Toneden User

Finally...

Now that you know what a fan gate is and how it is used to help build your fanbase across different networks, the only thing left to do is give it a try for yourself.
Any of the services listen here would be good to start with, but if you want to give ToneDen a test drive, the company is offering free lifetime premium access to Digital DJ Tips readers. Just create an account here, and respond to your welcome email with the phrase "DigitalDJTips". Alternatively, email ali@toneden.io with a link to your ToneDen profile.

Mais informações e dicas sobre Digital DJ no site DIGITAL DJ TIPS

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Panasonic brings back the vinyl with reborn Technics turntable

Saiu na no site da WIRED!

A Panasonic vai relançar o toca disco Technics!
Segue o artigo original (em inglês)
Baita noticia pra nós DJ's!


Vinyl really is back; Panasonic has used its annual IFA press conference in Berlin to announce that it will relaunch and reinvent its iconic Technics turntable series, providing a lifeline to fans of analogue audio.
Panasonic presented a prototype of the new direct-drive turnable at the show, which is made from stark aluminium, and drawn with classic lines and a utilitarian aesthetic reminiscent of the other high-end (and extremely expensive) audio products in the Technics line.

The analog turntable will be completely rebuilt, Panasonic said, with new elements at every level. But it will also be designed to reflect the esteem in which the classic Technics turntables — the legendary SP10 and DJs' favourite SL-1200 turntables — are still held.

It's not a bad time to make the move, either. Recent data collected for the British Phonographic Industry shows that in the UK sales of vinyl are up 56 percent year-on-year, reaching their highest mark since 1994. Is it likely that vinyl will mount a genuine comeback against digital streaming, which could top 25 billion streams in the UK alone this year? No. But neither are audiophiles and purists willing to give up on analogue formats, and especially not those who are prepared to spend upwards of £20,000 on a Technics reference audio speaker setup.



"Turntables are a very iconic product for the Technics brand," Michiko Ogawa, director of Technics and executive officer at Panasonic, tells WIRED. "It is important to show our sincere dedication [to that]. The turntable market is very small but it is a very important brand product."

Technics was once a genuinely important name in analogue audio systems, but years of decline saw it phased out entirely in the early 2000s. Panasonic relaunched the brand in 2014 at IFA with a pair of high-end audio systems, with the (admittedly somewhat vague) promise of helping its customers "re-experience music".
"With this product we can show how seriously we can address the high-end market. For analogue customers we have to bring our concept of music to them," Ogawa told WIRED, through a translator.




Panasonic

There are however no details on exactly what form the new vinyl player will take, or when it will be available. Ogawa did indicate it will be coming to the UK, though, and also announced several new Technics products:
  • SU-G30 Grand Class Network Audio Amp: a high-end HiFi network amp designed to deliver "uncompromising audio quality" (pictured above)
  • SC-C500 Premium Class All-in-one Hi-Fi: an all-in-one for the audiophile in your life, with 270-degree speakers and the handcrafted quality of Technics' 2014 systems
  • EAH-T700 Premium Stereo Headphones: the first headphones in the 'new' Technics brand, including some interesting features like a side-adjusting headband and 100Hz-capable sound quality.
Technics' new turntable will hardly be alone in the marketplace. While sales of mid-range 'classic' record players have shrunk, brands like Crosley on the low end have seen booming sales by placing their players in Urban Outfitters rather than Currys, and giving them a deliberately retro 'suitcase' look.
Meanwhile WIRED recently featured the beautiful Merlin 1 in its annual Gear special, which allows you to play vinyl with excellent reproduction via the high-quality "friction free" turntable and stream high quality audio via Bluetooth aptX -- all for £1,300.

Still, in an era where music is defined increasingly by streaming services, 'curation' and bright plastic headphones, using an IFA press conference to announce a vinyl record player is both slightly old fashioned and admirable. In a show otherwise dominated by talk of 'smart' everything, from kitchens to cookers and intelligent mirrors, the announcement of a new turnable was a refreshing distraction and acknowledgement that not everything has to be digital.

Elsewhere in its show Panasonic announced 'Nubo', a 4G camera and security system for indoor and outdoor use, and its first commercial 4K OLED TV, the CZ950, which it said was tuned by Hollywood colourist Mike Sowa.

Mais info no site da WIRED

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Scratching On Controllers: 7 Myths Busted (by Digital DJ Tips)

Excelente matéria publicada pelo site DIGITAL DJ TIPS !
Reproduzo o texto na íntegra (em inglês), na qual vários mitos sobre fazer Scratch em controladore MDI são desmistificados.
Vale a leitura!

So have you ever believed those who say it's not possible to scratch well on DJ controllers, or DJ controller scratching will never be taken seriously? Read on, you may just be surprised...


As many of you will unfortunately be only too aware, there’s a whole army of haters out there, continually bashing digital DJs and controllerists because they don’t use vinyl or didn’t “come from” vinyl. And nowhere is this more true than among a certain section of scratch DJs. The standard line is that we shouldn't care what they think, blah blah, but actually I do, and I'll tell you why: Because as a scratch tutor, I know first-hand that the "hate talk" puts people off trying - and that cant be left unchallenged.
As I learned to scratch in the late 1980s, on the one hand this talk doesn't affect me as much as most, but on the other, it surprises me more than most! Sure, I earned my stripes in the vinyl days, and yeah it was cool - but you want to know something? It wasn’t cool because we used vinyl, it was cool in spite of the fact we had to use vinyl! We had no choice other than to deal with ridiculous prices, warping, jumping, hissy sound, the weight, the size, the excess luggage costs, the risk of damage or loss. If it could have been as simple as digital “back in the day”, would we have wanted it? I would have - in a heartbeat.
House music legend MK laid into "DJs who've been playing 20 years who look down on anything else but vinyl", in a promo video for Native Instruments. It's what we at DDJT have always believed: that far from holding you back as a DJ, digital can make it all more exciting, interesting, creative and fun for you.
But what about scratching? You have to learn to scratch with vinyl, surely? Wrong... as someone who's taught thousands of DJs to scratch in our Scratching For Controller DJs course (which is coming back soon, by the way), I know this to be untrue, and this is what I want to tackle today. Too many DJs feel restricted from getting started learning to scratch on DJ controllers because they think "you have to learn on vinyl first”. So, let's deal with the most common misconceptions about scratching using DJ controllers.
(By the way, if you saw this post last year, I've added some new ones and updated the existing five, to bring it bang up to date...)

7 scratch myths busted

1. Scratching on a controller doesn't sound the same as on vinyl

Actually, that’s correct to a certain extent, but not for the reasons the purists believe. When you scratch on a controller the sound doesn’t jump and, assuming your track sounds clean to begin with, there are no hisses or crackles. The sound you are scratching will not degrade in quality the more you scratch with it, and you don’t get any bass rumble or feedback through the system (all these issues are common with vinyl).
So yes, it’s true, digital scratching doesn’t sound the same as vinyl - for all the right reasons. So what do the naysayers mean when they say this? They’re referring to the “warm” vinyl sound as opposed to digital, about how the digital processing takes the analogue identity out of the sound. Well, if using digital source material is good enough for Qbert, Craze, DJ Angelo, Shiftee and Jazzy Jeff, then this myth is most definitely busted. Check out scratch legend D-Styles using a Vestax Spin and Djay4 in a head-to-head battle with a vinyl DJ:


2. Latency means you can't do really fast scratching

Digital latency can be an issue when you are using a controller that was not designed to be integrated with a particular software application, but if you’re using a controller / software combination that was designed to play nicely together, chances are this simply won’t be an issue for you.
For example the Traktor S4 or S2 paired with Traktor Pro 2 software has incredibly tight integration for super-fast scratches and cuts, same with the Reloop Terminal Mix series and Serato DJ - you get the idea. Put bluntly if your scratches don’t sound right, it’s because you’ve either got the settings wrong or you need to practise! Check out these scratch DJs from San Diego putting the S4 through its paces and ask yourself if you still believe this myth. As DJ Happee says himself: “I guess live shows will never be the same again...”

Also, check out this dude on the DDJ-SX:

3. You can't scratch on cheap gear and/or small jogwheels

This myth applies to DJing overall, that you won’t be a “good DJ” if you only have entry-level gear. The manufacturers are clearly not going to do anything to talk you out of this mindset, hoping you will continually upgrade in the quest to be taken more seriously. I have found some of the best controllers for scratching to be some of the least expensive, the Mixtrack Pro 3 comes to mind as does the Denon DJ MC2000 with its small jogwheels.

As we saw when we busted myth #2, small jogs, like those on the S2 and S4, are no barrier to being able to scratch like a demon. If you’ve got a controller with jogwheels, you can scratch with it - period. Check out this guy scratching, cutting and chirping away on a Mixtrack Pro: You can pick these up for US$50 on ebay and the Mixtrack Pro 3 is also fantastically capable at around $200:

4. You can't "beatjuggle" without spinning visual cues

Beatjuggling is tricky, whether it’s on vinyl or not, it takes incredible coordination, rhythm and practice. When DJs beat juggle on vinyl, they use marks on the record labels to be able to give themselves a visual cue of the position of the record. And those records are constantly spinning. In general this is not available to controller DJs, it’s replicated on some DJ controllers, like the LED lights on some Reloop and Pioneer models, and the spinning platters on the Numark NS7III, but is not the norm, and is mostly only available on more expensive units.
So can beatjuggling, and the more advanced techniques like “chasing” be done on a normal controller? You guessed it, absolutely yes, and DJ Wreckdown is going to bust this myth for us in the following video, with his awesome routine on the Denon MC3000 and Traktor (also proving that some non-Native controllers work great with Traktor too!):

5. Scratching on a controller is not like “performing” on turntables

The extent to which you are “performing” depends entirely on you... it doesn’t matter what set-up you’re using. One of the best party-rocking performance DJs out there is DJ Angelo, and as part of his sometime role of brand ambassador for Reloop he has put together mind-blowing routines using controllers that showcase not only his own abilities, but the capability of the gear too.
This landmark demo he did for Reloop at Musikmesse in 2013 is an absolute masterclass in music programming, scratching, beatjuggling, controllerism and DJ performance, not limited in any way by using a controller, or indeed limited in his mindset. His enthusiasm (even in the sterile environment of an exhibition hall during the day) is as infectious as his skills are impressive:

6. You can't scratch with house or trance music

There's no denying that scratching came from, and is still most widely used in, hip hop, but there seems to be an assumption that if you DJ with any other genre, then there's no place for scratching. Well there are plenty of DJs who don't agree.
James Zabiela has always pushed the boundaries of performance in his DJing, and scratching has always been a big part of it, and a massive contributory factor to his rise to fame. He understood very early on that you need to show that you're in control at the decks. He says: "It’s important to give your audience something to look at as well. I always really enjoy looking at those DMC tapes where the DJs are like scratching with snooker cues. That’s totally out of my league but it’s great to watch. I think somewhere in between that and the sort of smooth Sasha mixing is somewhere where I’m heading. Somewhere in between."
James is a true multi-genre DJ but plays mostly house / techno tempo, and uses scratching, combined with loops and FX to devastating effect in his sets, check out what he describes as a "mess about" here using Pioneer CDJs and the RMX1000:
Another house DJ who leverages the power of scratching is legend of the genre Terrence Parker. Inspired by Grandmaster Flash when he was young, he decided that scratching would always be a part of his DJ performances: "When I first stared DJing, and actually developing my style, it was very important for me to show people that I'm actually working."
Here he is cutting, scratching and juggling his own house tunes in his "masterclass" video that truly busts this myth:

7. You'll never be respected scratching on digital gear

As we said right at the start, there will always be haters, but the tide is turning. More and more "proper" scratch DJs are acknowledging that it doesn't matter what gear you use, it's the skills you display that count. Even the DMC World DJ championship is now getting respected entires from DJs using controllers - check out The Abbot from New Zealand rocking his Pioneer DDJ-SZ for his round six entry for this year's competition, even goading viewers in the comments under his own video saying: "Waiting for the controller haters..." :)
Busting the last of our myths is the incredible "Saturday Super Session" videos - put together by Dutch DJ TLM, where 56 DJs from over 30 countries all submitted a scratch session using the same beat and whatever gear they wanted... iPads, cheap controllers, expensive controllers, CDJs, turntables, DVS - the whole lot!
This acceptance of DJs into the scratch community no matter what gear they're using is growing day by day, as DJ TLM says: "In this video everyone's using they're own thing to get the job done, and to me it's pretty cool to see how everyone uses their equipment. I didn't want this just to be a session with the top guys doing all kinds of intricate cuts and scratches on vinyl only. There's DJs in there doing really basic scratches, but they're doing them in a neat fashion and that's all that counts."
Check out the session here:

A word on DVS...

So what about DVS (digital vinyl systems)? This is vinyl, right? Well yes, but with some significant differences that only digital can bring. Most of the top-flight scratch DJs use this system by default now, and why? Because they only need carry maximum of four records (one timecode vinyl for each deck, and maybe two spares), and if the records get scratched, warped, broken or stolen, they are easily replaced while the music collection is not compromised in any way (always back up your music!) DVS even deals with jumping needles - the needle can be jumping all over the place but the audio stays solidly locked in the groove, opening the artform up to faster and faster techniques.
Another reason DVS is so widely used is it means the DJ can continue to use the medium he or she learned on. Think about it, if you drive an automatic car all your life, you can’t just jump into a stick shift manual car and expect to nail it straight away. DVS is "digital in the comfort zone" for scratch DJs, but as DJ Angelo (who also uses DVS) proved earlier, the skills are totally transferrable to controllers.
Check out Qbert & Revolution’s mastery of DVS here:

Finally...

For those DJs who want to be vinyl-only, who love vinyl and all its history… If it feels more “real” to you, that’s cool, follow your heart and spread a positive message about the thing you’re passionate about. If people concentrated more on loving what they do, and less on hating what others do, then a common respect among DJs would exist that’s sadly sometimes lacking.
And if you want to learn to scratch, but can only get your hands on a $50 controller and some type of "intro" software, get started today... you have no excuse not to, especially now you know there’s nothing stopping you other that your own fears and the attitudes of a small number of "vinyl snobs" who will probably always be there. Why let such things hold you back?

Mais informaçoes e cursos de Scratch AQUI

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Pioneer’s XDJ-RX: End Of The DJ Controller Era? (By DJ Tech Tools)

Excelente matéria publicada pelo site DJ TechTools, que reproduzo integralmente aqui.
Fala sobre o possível futuro da tecnologia MIDI, cujos sinais da indústria parecem mostrar o que a prática já dizia: menos é mais (no que tange a gadgets pra se colocar numa cabine de dj exígua).
Segue o texto (em inglês) na íntegra: 

Pioneer’s XDJ-RX: End Of The DJ Controller Era?

Earlier this month, we wrote about Pioneer’s upcoming Rekordbox DJ software – but the truth is, we’ve already seen what DJ software from Pioneer will look like. The XDJ-RX has a complete DJ software right inside of its 8″ high-resolution screen, allowing browsing, cues, loops, rolls, FX, and more. In this article we break down how the XDJ-RX is poised to become the digital DJ hardware of the future – and what obstacles Pioneer still faces.
Pioneer has built an incredible unit with this “standalone DJ system”, which easily wins the prize of best non-controller for all-in-one DJ products yet. The DJ world has seen a number of half-baked attempts at complete digital DJ systems – from the Stanton’s SCS.4DJ, to the Pacemaker hardware, to even Pioneer’s own XDJ-R1 in 2013. The truth is none of them succeeded at changing the game because they were usable but not well-polished.

xdj-r1-pacemaker-scs4dj
The “also-ran” products of the standalone digital DJ world

But Pioneer has been building a best-in-class digital DJ workflow on the CDJ-2000Nexus and XDJ-1000 units. It’s simple and intuitive for anyone from any DJ background – so when they decided to build new standalone all-in-one, adopting that exact workflow made sense.
So will the XDJ-RX replace traditional DJ controllers like the Kontrol S4 or Mixtrack Pro? Here’s what Pioneer is doing right on this unit that makes it such a powerful competitor:

XDJ-RX Is A Club DJ Setup For Bedroom DJs

Immediately clear just from looking at the XDJ-RX is how much it mirrors the layout of two CDJs and a two-channel version of a DJM-900. This standardized layout means that there’s a “cross-compatibility” of sorts when it comes to DJ skills:
  • beginners learning on the XDJ-RX will be able to quickly adapt to a club setup
  • experienced club DJs will be able to quickly use most of their same skills and techniques on an RX unit
We’re pretty sure Pioneer very carefully thought about this concept (skills that translate from bedroom to club) a lot when making this piece of gear – because the truth is that bedroom DJs are where most sales of DJ controllers come from. By and large, professional DJs (a much smaller market) are either using a modular setup or some kind of CDJ/mixer combo.

Solid Setup For Mobile DJs

At a mobile gig - the less stuff to connect (while still looking pro) - the better!
At a mobile gig – the less stuff to connect (while still looking pro) – the better! (photo via DJ)

The second big market for DJ controllers? Mobile DJs. Tons of gear is sold every year to DJs that are playing mobile gigs for decent cash – weddings, birthdays, corporate parties, etc. These DJs are constantly looking for their ultimate piece of gear which usually entails:
  • quick + minimal setup required
  • microphone input
  • limited cords
  • looks professional
The RX hits each of these solidly, and has the added bonus of removing the laptop from the equation. There’s one less thing to worry about – and no chance you’ll have anyone wondering why you’re not a “real DJ” or that you “look like you’re checking your email.
The big drawback here for mobile DJs is portability – the RX isn’t quite as thin as traditional controllers, and weighs in at 8 pounds – a bit heavier than most. You also have no backup systems besides the unit itself, but if for some reason your USB sticks aren’t loading correctly, the unit can run as a standalone DJ mixer.

Get Advanced: Pioneer Color / Beat FX

best-of-fx-xdj-rx
It feels like Pioneer played “Survivor” with their FX and only let the best ones stay on the RX island.

Even though the XDJ-RX is great for beginners, it also has enough advanced features that you can practice more challenging techniques. The FX are especially nice – it feels like Pioneer has slimmed down the Beat and Color FX to the most useful options on any of the DJM mixers.
Want to try your hand at the Spiral effect, or play with Noise for a wash? No problem. Pioneer has even moved all the Beat FX rate displays to the main screen for super easy reference – this means less looking around to see how your FX settings are set before activating one.

Adoption of Best Industry Features

Record a set directly to your USB drive
Record a set directly to your USB drive

Here’s the case for why Pioneer’s XDJ-RX is not just a good product, but a sign of the direction of the future of DJ gear: they are stealing great ideas from other DJ gear. So many companies in the DJ industry seem afraid/hesitant to incorporate great ideas that they didn’t come up with. In the RX, Pioneer has added:
  • Parallel waveforms: even the other DJ gear that has screens on them seems to be keeping the waveforms separated (we’re looking at you, Kontrol S8) – and Pioneer has never really had two waveforms side-by-side except for in the Rekordbox software. Virtual DJ and Serato DJ owners often rave about their waveform layouts that allow quick visual mixing if they need it, so it’s no surprise that Pioneer added this.
  • Recording on the USB stick: this might be an industry first, but having dual USB ports and the ability to record your set on the one in the second port (yes, you can load tracks from it at the same time) is a major win. We want to see this on other Pioneer DJ gear ASAP, please.
The familiar bottom-of-deck controls from the DDJ line...
The familiar bottom-of-deck controls from the DDJ line…
  • DDJ-SX style buttons at the bottom of each deck: Pioneer has put a lot of work into building a memorable set of controls at the bottom of each controller. They’re at home on the RX, and we suspect it might be a sign that we’ll soon see a new CDJ/XDJ controller that has those same buttons on it below the platter..

What Still Needs Work On The RX

Despite being conceptually a DJ product that could take out all-in-one style controllers, there’s a few areas where the XDJ-RX needs a lot of work to make it able to compete:
  • Jog wheels aren’t platinum status: One of the biggest sells for the high-end CDJ-900/2000/XDJ-1000 lines are the quality of the jogwheels. They’re pleasantly hefty mixing tools that feel great. The XDJ-RX’s jogs are about what you get on the DDJ-SR/SX, not especially heavy but “good enough”. It’s particularly hard to do a long backspin on these with just a flick of the hand; they seem to have a limited range just from a single touch. Minor quibble, but enough to notice and consider going for a higher end product instead.

Cue/slice buttons should feel great - not ok.
Cue/slice buttons should feel great – not ok.
  • Plastic cue/loop/slice buttons: We’re not very big fans of plastic buttons – and while the buttons at the bottom of each deck on this gear are responsive, they’re not really fun to use or easy to juggle with. Many all-in-one controllers do a lot better.
  • Beatmatching: Lining up tracks on the RX is different from all Pioneer gear – it’s way more “elastic” feeling. My experience was that unless you had Sync enabled, using the waveforms to mix was difficult as two beatmatched tracks only seemed lined up at the playhead – not ahead or behind it. As always, trust your ears before anything else – but this still felt weird.
XDJ-RX to scale
XDJ-RX to scale next to CDJ-900Nexus, PLX-1000 turntable
  • Portability / Club-Readiness: This gear is really ideal for house parties, home studios, and maybe a mobile gig – but there’s no way you’re going to be able to clear almost 2.5 feet of width in most DJ booths for your gear. This is why small modular DJ gear will always win in a club setting – you can fit your gear in the booth!

Who’s Next?

Looking toward the future, we suspect that both NI and Serato must have their eyes on their own brands of standalone DJ gear:
Thinking of buying an XDJ-RX? Please support DJTT and purchase it in our store


Leia mais sobre tecnologia DJ no site DJ TECHTOOLS

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Novo software Rekordbox revelado!

E o site Digital DJ Tips conseguiu uma foto do software para djs Rekordbox
que a Pioneer está preparando.
Parecido com o Serato, na minha opinião.
Certo que testarei...aguardando ansiosamente!

Mais info AQUI

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Uma Orquestra Tocou os Hinos da Música Eletrônica

Saiu na VICE!

Faz 120 (!) anos que a BBC realiza seus "Proms", uma série de shows que ano a ano mostra os melhores arranjos de orquestra.
Precisamente por essa quantidade de anos se diz que o Proms é o mais antigo festival de música que há no mundo. A ocasião perfeita para levar os hinos da música eletrônica ao "BBC Proms" são os 20 anos da estação Radio 1 em Ibiza, a capital mundial da naite.
O show de uma hora e meia incluí temas de Stardust, Fatboy Slim, Shapeshifters e muitos outros, todos sons muito conhecidos, diga-se.
O deleite de escutar esses verdadeiros estandartes do gênero na execução de uma orquestra é enorme. Cada arranjo foi cuidadosamente pensado para soar conforme o original, e na ala eletrônica lá está Pete Tong integrando a orquestra - é sensacional.
A emoção da geral é visível, graças a interpretação de Jules Bucley e sua Heritage Orchestra. Parabéns a BBC e a todos os envolvidos.



Mais info na VICE

Thursday, July 30, 2015

E a Pionner vai revolucionar! Rekordbox Performace vem aí!

E o Rekordbox da Pioneer vai virar software independente como Traktor, Serato, etc...
Vai se chamar REKORDBOX PERFORMANCE!
Movimento genial da Pionner!
Tá no ar um teaser pra dar água na boca...
Aguardemos!


Mais info (em inglês) AQUI

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Mixing with STEMS - Native Instruments!

Mais um vídeo da Native Instruments mostrando seu novo lançamento, o STEM.
Pra quem não sabe, são arquivos de áudio "abertos", nos quais se tem acesso a diferentes partes da track.
Parece interessante...
Será que vai pegar?



Mais info AQUI

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Site com problemas de visualização no Chrome


Acabo de descobrir que meus posts do SoundCloud e Mixcloud não estão aparecendo no navegador Google Chome.
São incompatibilidades técnicas do respectivo browser, então recomendo utilizar o Mozilla Firefox, que está 100% funcional.
Não existe solução possível, por enquanto.
Peço desculpas pelo inconveniente!

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Hip Hop Orquestra!

E quem disse que assistir uma orquestra é uma coisa chata?
Pois o compositor e produtor Radzimir Dębski, também conhecido por JIMEK bolou essa apresentação incrível. 30 clássicos do Hip Hop em versão orquestra!
A performance foi na cidade de Katowice, no Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall.

Saca só o playlist:

1. Kendrick Lamar - Swimming Pools
2. M.I.A. - Bad Girls
3. Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow
4. 2Pac - Dear Mama
5. Cam’Ron - Hey Ma
5. Barry White - Basketball Jones /feat. Chris Rock
6. Jay-Z - Girls Girls Girls (Tom Brock)
7. Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
8. Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M
9. Mobb Deep - Give Up The Goods
10. Kanye West - Flashing Lights
11. 50 Cent - In Da Club
12. 50 Cent - Outta Control /feat. Mobb Deep
13. Jay-Z - Lost One
14. Jay-Z - Roc Boys
15. Beastie Boys - Sure Shot
16. Nas - Nas is Like
17. Dr. Dre - Still D.R.E.
18. Xzibit - Alcoholic
19. Missy Elliott - Get Your Freak On
20. Dr. Dre - What’s the Difference feat. Eminem
21. M.O.P. - Cold As Ice
22. M.O.P. - Ante Up
23. Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says
24. Beyoncé - Crazy In Love
25. Snoop Dogg - Drop It Like Its Hot feat. Pharell
26. Sisqo - Thong Song
27. Nicky Minaj - Anaconda
28. Wu-Tang Clan - Gravel Pit
29. Baauer - Harlem Shake
30. JIMEK x Pezet - Nie Muszę Wracać

Olha que massa!

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Djs From Mars - Phat Ass Drop 2 (How To Follow Trends And Keep Your Sound Cool)

E o duo Djs From Mars publicou essa pérola que mostra "atalhos" pra quem lida com produção musical!
Muito massa! Curte ae!

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

O Woodstock da House Music

Pra quem nunca ouviu falar, o Chosen Few Picnic é considerado o "Woodstock" da House Music.
Acontece todo ano no dia 04/07.
Começou como uma pequena reunião de amigos e hoje reúne mais de 45000 pesoas no Jackson Park, 63rd e Hayes Drive, Chicago.
A ediçao de 2015 foi a comemorativa de 25 anos.
Saca só a vibe do evento:


Tuesday, June 30, 2015

STEMS! Será que vem uma revolução por aí?

E tá previsto para o verão europeu o lançamento pra valer da nova ferramenta para djs da já consagrada Native Instruments.
Confesso que estou curioso pra ver este novo formato na prática...
Acredito que pode vir a ser uma revolução neste já hiper super concorrido DJ Business e pode ser uma ótima ferramenta pra dar aquele brilho a mais nos sets!
O vídeo abaixo é bem interessante, um webcast que foi ao ar no dia 17/06 com o cara da Native, Chad Carrier, direto de Berlin.
No video ele mostra como funciona e responde perguntas (in english of course)
Dá um conferes ae:



Mais informação específica sobre o formato no site STEMS

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Vetada regulamentação da profissão de DJ

Baita notícia...
Tá no site do Senado Federal, atualizado ontem 15/06.

A presidente Dilma Rousseff vetou projeto que regulamenta a profissão de DJ (disc-jockey). 
O PLS 322/2010, do ex-senador Sérgio Zambiasi, exigia a apresentação de certificado de curso profissionalizante para a obtenção, no Ministério do Trabalho, de registro profissional na área. 
O texto também estabelecia jornada de trabalho máxima de 6 horas diárias e 30 horas semanais e impunha limites à atuação de DJs estrangeiros.
Na mensagem de veto, Dilma argumenta que a Constituição assegura o livre exercício profissional, cabendo a imposição de restrições apenas quando houver a possibilidade de dano à sociedade.
É a segunda vez que uma proposta com esse objetivo é vetada. 
Em 2010, o então presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetou o PLS 740/2007, do ex-senador Romeu Tuma, com a mesma justificativa.

Agência Senado (Reprodução autorizada mediante citação da Agência Senado)

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Salve suas mixtapes enquanto é tempo!

Tenho enfrentado problemas frequentes com meus sets no Soundcloud.
Vários uploads perdidos por questões de direitos autorais, uma hora de set excluída por causa de uma track...
Pois achei esta dica de como importar os sets que estão no SoundCloud direto pro Mixcloud
no site Digitaldjtips.
O Mixcloud tem algumas limitações mas isso não atrapalha na divulgação de sets mixados.

A ferramenta se chama SoundCloud Import e atualmente é beta.


O link pra fazer a manobra é https://www.mixcloud.com/soundcloud/import/
Eu testei ontem e funcionou perfeitamente!

Tenta ae e já me adicona lá: https://www.mixcloud.com/DJSouq/

Baita dica do ótimo site Digitaldjtips.com

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Há 3 anos atrás...

Há 3 anos atrás este que vos fala ilustrava uma página na Revista Veja Porto Alegre!
Ocidente, eleito o melhor lugar pra dançar de Poa em 2012!